Struggles for Success
by wolfgirlholo62
Summary: When learning the truth about the makeup of the Philosopher's Stone, the Elric's begin to lose hope. When they hear of another stone that could work just as well, they go to all lengths to get it! rated T just in case
1. Chapter 1

**Struggles for Success**

**First Crossover Second ever fanfic so don't be too ruff I'm still a newbie at this**

**I mainly focused on the first anime of FMA but may tie in some brotherhood late on**

**This is probably a common them for a crossover between Inu and FMA but oh well**

**I don't own Inuyasha or FMA**

**ENJOY! ^_^**

Edward Elric was sulking just outside of Resembool, sitting against an old well. After all they had been through so far, just to learn what they had was too much for him. He couldn't believe that the thing that they have been looking for all this time, the Philosopher's Stone, the stone believed to greatly enhance a person's alchemic ability and ignore the laws of equivalent exchange, was made from... made from...

"DAMN!" He screamed as he punched the ground. "So close. We were so close, Al."

"I know, brother." The younger Elric, Alphonse Elric, whispered, unable to voice it any louder. "I wish I could cry, brother. It feels like I'm bottled up. It's time like these that I really remember that I am hollow inside, because I can't show my feelings on my face."

Al was always the one to be able to voice these things out loud. Maybe he couldn't let his feelings show on his face, but they definitely rang in his words. Ed was the opposite. He was completely the strong and silent type. He hated crying, while his brother wished to cry, and always kept to himself. Al's words stung Ed and snapped him out of his trance.

"Hey Al, don't think like that! You're more human than a lot of people we know. And you can cry Al. You cry on the inside rather than physically. Everybody knows it when you're crying. Even Scar could tell. You've always been special Al, always been able to show everybody how you feel. You don't need flesh to be human. You just need the right spirit and soul on the inside. We learned that when we tried to bring mom back to life. She had a body, but no soul, so she's not human." Ed said, trying to reassure his brother.

"Thanks brother. I needed that. I think we should still give our all. We'll find something else that may work even better than a Philosopher's Stone!" Al exclaimed, with newly found enthusiasm.

Ed just looked at his brother and smiled. That's Al, always the optimist. He can never stay upset for very long.

"I've been wondering about those beings we saw when we went to Laboratory five, those things called Homunculus that were after us. They wanted me to make them a stone. I almost did it too. I just wanted you to be happy again Al. We should probably find out more about these Homunculus guys as our next move and make them talk. After all, it's possible that they might know a way to get our original bodies back!" Ed mumbled

Al just nodded his agreement. They were silent for a moment longer when Al suddenly shouted and pulled out... a wrench. "Oh Ed, I just remembered something! Winry told me to give this to you as a reminder to call more often and I quote 'So that he will always think of me here, back in Resembool, waiting for him'" Al said in a soprano voice. "Did anything happen between you two when we were here?"

A flashback of Winry bravely leaning forward and stealing a quick, but passionate kiss off Edward's lips came into his mind as he blushed a light red on his cheeks. "Of course not! How could you even think that dear brother. Anyway we should really get going, you know, we have places to be, people to see, and things to do!" Ed stammered as he snatched the wrench away from Al.

However, he grabbed it a little too a little too fast and it went flying out of his hands into the well.

"Don't worry brother! I'll get back your reminder of Winry!" Al said teasingly.

He jumped into the old dried up well. The well used to hold water, but because it has been so hot and dry lately that it dried up, so Al didn't need to worry about wiping off his blood seal that kept his soul attached to the armour that acted as his body.

Al was blinded for a second by a strange flash of light that he didn't understand. When he reached the bottom he grabbed the wrench and called up to his brother. "Ed! I have it! Did you see that light?!"

But there was no answer from above.

**Meanwhile...**

"Al! ALPHONSE!" Ed didn't know what just happened. The well released a blinding light and when Edward looked down to make sure his brother was alright... he was gone!

"Alphonse! You're not getting rid of me that easily!" And he jumped in after his younger brother.


	2. Chapter 2

Edward was free falling towards the bottom, when the same light that swallowed Alphonse encircled him as well. Suddenly, he found himself... at the gate!

"WHAT THE HELL!" He yelled, looking around him "Why am I here, of all places!? Is this some kind of sick, cruel joke!?"

That was when he noticed the figure sitting behind him. There were no eyes on that figure. No colour to its skin. The only thing that stood out and what had caught Ed's attention was the huge, disturbing smile that spread out across its face. Even though it was smiling, it wasn't warm or welcoming in the slightest. Edward knew this face as he had seen it before.

"You!" Was all he could get out, as if it were the worst insult he could think of.

"Yes me! Nice to see you again, Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric!" He spoke in a demented voice that echoed all his words.

"Why am I here? WHERE'S AL!? IF YOU DID ANYTHING TO HIM I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Oh, I've done nothing to him Edward, but let him pass." The thing smiled wider, as if that were possible. "You, on the other hand, I wanted to speak to before you joined up with him"

"I won't listen to ANYTHING you have to say" screamed the alchemist clapping his hands and resting his left hand on his right, metal arm. But... nothing happened!

"Oh, you can't do alchemy if I don't want you to." The thing laughed.

"Who are you!" Ed screamed as he kept trying to transmute.

"I am known as many things. I am God. I am the universe. I am you. I am Truth. Nice to meet you." Truth said as he stretched out his hand.

"We've met before, you dumbass!" Edward backed away from the outstretched hand. Without his alchemy, he felt very defenceless.

"I know, but we never properly introduced ourselves before." Truth shifted and two limbs on his body seem much more visible. A right arm and a left leg. "I've been bored lately, so I'm sending you on a quest for my entertainment. I want you to recover something called the Shikon Jewel for me. Now I know, equivilent exchange means I have to give you something in return because you're giving me some amusement, so I will let you keep the jewel as it contains many powers that are similar to the Philosopher's Stone. It increases your power dramatically and grant's you one wish."

This had Edward's attention. A way to get Al back to normal is what he's wish for, but being Truth's little entertainment act wasn't all that appealing.

"So the deals set. Don't disappoint me now. I will see you upon your return." Truth waved his hand as the strange light enveloped Edward again.

"Wait I-" But he was cut off as the wind was ripped from his lungs.

"Goodbye now Edward. Put on a good show!"

And with that Edward was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Alphonse had started climbing up the side of the well. He knew that he could just transmute something but his teacher had always taught him to always do things by yourself if you could and not to rely on alchemy for everything. The only noise inside the well was the soft clanking of Al as he slowly climbed his way out of the well. He grabbed a lose brick and as the brick can out, Al fell towards the ground, just as Edward appeared at the bottom of the well!

"Would... you... get... off...of...me...Al!" struggled the small (yes I said it! He's small! ^_^) Elric. "Wait... Al! Thank God you're alright! Don't you ever do something so stupid ever again!"

"Brother!" squealed the taller (^_^ OK I'm done making fun of Ed's size now) Elric. Alphonse reached down and gave him a big bear hug... or would it be... armour hug?

"Can't breath Al! Hey!" As Al realized the colour of Ed's face was now starting to turn blue, he put down his brother with a squeaky little "Sorry!"

"Ok time to get out of this hole! Hope this works!" He clapped his hands together and turned some long, smooth things on the ground into a ladder. "Alright, that should be easier to climb. Up we go."

When he got close enough to the daylight to could see what he had made the ladder out of, he saw that they were smooth, white bones! Swallowing he called down to Al "If you can don't look at the ladder when you climb OK!"

"Huh? But why brother?"

"Because I said so OK! Just... trust me, you don't want to know" swallowing again he continued his climb.

* * *

Safely at the top and with the ladder disposed of, as he couldn't leave something like that laying around, they notice for the first time that the landscape is somewhat different from where they were before.

"Ed, I'm scared where are we?"

"I don't know Al. I don't know. But I intend to find out." Edward was keeping the conversation with Truth from Alphonse. He didn't want him to worry. He knew it felt stupid and they should be in this together, but he felt that being the older brother, he had to protect him. He didn't want Al to suffer any more than he already had. He would find a way to get them out of this. There had to be a city or something nearby that could hold his brother for a while he played Truth's little game and got them back home. As much as he didn't want to admit, he thought that maybe Truth had also given him a new lead with this Shikon Jewel, and just maybe, this would all be over soon.

**Stay tuned as I am finally introducing InuYasha and friends next chapter**


	4. Chapter 4

InuYasha and Kagome were busy doing their thing... bickering back and forth with each other. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo just sighed as they listened to the miniature war going on in front of them.

"Kagome, you useless girl! You haven't sensed any jewel shards at all lately! You must be losing your touch." InuYasha huffed at the dark haired girl.

"I am NOT! The did you even bother to consider that the reason I haven't sensed any shards is because there are none around here!" Kagome was tired of all this fighting, but she wasn't going to put up with the half-demons attitude.

"But that's not possible. People around this area have been saying that they've been seeing lots of demons around here lately, and they'd only be gathering if there was a jewel shard nearby! DUH!" He said, stating the obvious.

Of course Kagome knew that, but it didn't change the fact that, for some reason, there were no jewel shards around. She agreed, it was strange though, however, seeing as how it was pointless and dangerous to linger in this area with so many demons and really having no reason to be there anymore, she decided it would be best if they tried another area "Well I'm telling you there isn't, and there isn't going to be any in this direction. Why don't we just turn around and go another way... Wait a minute! I'm sense something!"

"Ha! It's a jewel shard, isn't it!" InuYasha was ready to rub it in Kagome's face that he was right and she was wrong.

The girl concentrated hard. Something felt different about whatever was calling to her. It was something she'd never felt before.

"I don't think so... something feels off about it... it's not Naraku either..." She concentrated harder. Whatever it was, she could tell it was strong and probably had powers they've never encountered before because the feeling was so intense and new to her.

"Well if it's not a shard or Naraku, then we have no reason to go." He said matter-of-factly. "It has nothing to do with us. It's probably just another stupid demon that will want to pick a fight with us and you'll get yourself into trouble and I'll have to save you again... Hey! Are you listening to me?!"

But she was already moving against her will towards the strange thing that was calling to her. She didn't know why, but she felt that whatever it is, it needs them, and they needed it. It didn't feel evil after all, just extremely sad and lonely and lost.

**Meanwhile, back to the Elric's**

The boys didn't know why, but time and time again, they kept getting attacked by strange looking things. Ed guessed they were chimeras, but these were different somehow. Some flew through the air, but didn't have any wings, others travelled across land and were very fast and some were huge, easily the size of a tank.

Al, because of the lack of a physical body, wasn't feeling physically tired at all, but some of these things had strong claws that could easily cut through his armour and hit his blood seal. Edward wasn't willing to take that chance, so he was trying to be in two places at once, alternating between alchemy and hand to hand combat constantly.

_Stupid Truth_ he thought_ when I get back, I'll show you a good show. I'll video tape me rearranging that stupid smile of yours and send the video to your mom!_ Even though was on the verge of collapsing, these thoughts gave him just enough rage to send one huge spick of earth up and impaling and a hundred of the flying things on it.

"You'll pay for that small one!" He heard one of them say.

"You shouldn't have done that" came Al's voice from somewhere.

His entire body turned red with rage "DON'T CALL ME SMALL! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

**Sorry I had to do it. I had to call him small. That's okay cause he's still the best.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry it took so long. Exam week. Enjoy! R&R so I know if I'm doing it right or not. I need criticism. Good or bad, I don't care. Just let me know what you think**

* * *

InuYasha was trying to convince Kagome to stop and stay away from the thing that was calling to her. Kagome, however, couldn't hear anything. The feeling was so strong that it numbed all her other senses. She just stared at him blankly for a minute, then continued walking in the direction of the forest. When she was about halfway there, she knocked out of her trance by a bright gold flash of light. Suddenly there was a miniature earthquake and a huge mountain of earth rose well over a hundred feet with a great number of demons speared on it.

"What the hell was that!" She heard InuYasha yell.

"Whatever it is, we should go check it out before it causes any trouble" Miroku stated as he clutched the beads around his wrist.

"Kirara!" Sango yelled as Kirara transformed into a giant cat demon. Sango jumped on her back followed by Miroku and Shippo.

"Come on Kagome!" InuYasha said as he picked her up and threw her on his back.

When they got to the area of where they had seen the light and the spear of earth, none of them could believe their eyes. There was a small, blond kid fighting thousands of demons by clapping his hands together and making things appear. Whenever he pulled his little trick, they noticed that the light they saw before would appear. _So that's where it came from. _Kagome thought.

Fighting off to the side of the kid was a much taller person. What was odd about this person is that he was in full armour. He mainly relied on his obvious strength, but whenever he got the chance, he would draw something on the ground and pull the same trick as the other guy.

After watching in amazement for a few minutes, InuYasha finally snapped out of it and was ready to jump in to help the duo when the two looked at each other and nodded once. The both drew something and put their hands down on it. As the light appeared, the wind started to pick up. A miniature tornado had formed and either blew apart or blew away the remaining demons.

InuYasha and the gang just stood there stupidly and watched as the short, blond kid sighed and sat down hard, clearly tired from performing so much alchemy and from the stress of the day's events. The one in armour just stood there. It was clear to Kagome that these people have been through some hard times. They were hardly even emotionally phased from being attacked.

The invisible force was drawing Kagome towards the blond boy. When she was about ten feet away he looked up.

"Who the hell are you?" He said. She couldn't tell if he was just tired or pissed off or both.

"I'm-"

"Kagome, get back!" InuYasha had appeared in front of Kagome with Tessaiga. "You saw what this guy can do! You don't know if he's going to attack you"

"Brother, look at his ears said hair" said a higher pitched voice. They could only imagine it came from the giant figure in the armour because the boy's lips didn't move.

"I see them Al. He must be a chimera just like, well just like that other THING!" Complete and total anger overcame him and he clapped his hands together and, placing his left hand on his right arm, the glove on his right hand tore away, revealing a metal arm with a new sword attached to it.

Faster than InuYasha would have thought possible for a human, the boy had the sword point at InuYasha's throat. "Who created you!" He yelled.

Kagome noticed how startling his golden eyes were. They were full of anger, but something else too. There was the sadness that she had felt before radiating of these two boys.

"Stupid kid!" Yelled InuYasha as he knocked the sword point away.

InuYasha was about to use his wind scar when the guy in the armour grabbed the boy from behind.

"Hey Al, let me go!" The boy struggled and screamed, trying to get away, but it appeared the armour guy had a grip of steel.

"No Ed. I can't do that. That chimera was just worried about that girl."

"Fine. Get off of me!" For the first time, Ed looked over and saw the rest of Kagome and InuYasha's group.

Sango had her Hiraikotsu ready, Kirara was growling with her fur standing on end, Shippo had summoned fox fire, and Miroku was gripping his beads tightly.

"Well I'm not going to let you get away with that, you stupid little brat! Tessaiga!" He hollered as he charged.

"InuYasha SIT!" said Kagome, crossing her arms at the half demons behaviour. The half-demon did a face plant into the ground.

"Geez Kagome, what you do that for! Could you not see that he was about to attack you a moment before!"

"Well if you look now, he isn't attacking us anymore" She pointed in towards the duo that were walking off, deeper into the forest.

"Hey, where do you think you're going!" Said a taunting InuYasha

"If you don't mind, we're looking for something, and the sooner we find it, the better" Said the small one in a cold voice.

Kagome stepped forward then. "What are you looking for. Maybe we can help you find it" She couldn't shake the feeling that they needed these two odd characters, and Kagome had learned to follow her feelings since she started coming to the feudal era.

The blond thought about it "Fine, but first, intoductions. I'm Edward and this is my younger brother Alphonse" Alphonse bowed.

_Younger brother? I thought it would be the other way around _"I'm Kagome, and the guy with the dog ears and attitude is InuYasha. The monk is Miroku, the girl over there is Sango and her demon cat is Kirara. The fox demon is Shippo"

"Nice to meet you... Wait! Did you say demon!" Ed couldn't believe his ears. "That makes no sense. Demons don't exist. Those things we just fought, I thought they were different from other chimeras. This really is a different world."

"How do you not know what a demon is?" asked Sango "I'm a demon slayer, and I know how impossible it is to do what you two just did by yourselves. Are you two demons, or a new type of slayer?"

"We are not demons. And we're not any slayer either."

"Oh... Alright, can you show me how you did that trick of yours? It looked just like magic. I could use a trick like that."

"You've never heard of alchemy before?" Ed and Al had never met anybody before who haven't even HEARD of alchemy before.

"Alchemy?" Miroku asked. "Is that a demon technique?"

"I told you were not demons! We're alchemists, and alchemy is the science of equivalent exchange."

"I know a little about alchemy" said Kagome "but you can't do it by drawing pictures or clapping your hands. You need the proper equipment."

"I've never heard of it being done any other way then with a transmutation circle." Said Alphonse "Brother is special, he doesn't need a circle. Only him and our teacher can transmute without one in the entire world."

"Geez Al. Just give away all our secrets why don't you" sighed Edward.

"Oops. Sorry brother."

"It's okay Al." He turned back to Kagome. "Can I talk to you about something. You said you wanted to help. I was wondering if you could give me information on something. You can bring your body guard too if you want." Gesturing toward InuYasha.

When they were out of ear shot, Al asked something that he wondered about since Edward said it "Ed, what did you mean by 'different world' before"

Kagome and InuYasha were listening hard. They had a lot of experiences with 'different worlds' due to Kagome being from the future.

Edward sighed, "I didn't want you to worry Al, so I didn't tell you, but I had a run in with someone from our past. When we passed through that portal in that well, I ended up at the gate. He wants us to be his little comedy show for a while and in return, he's going to let us keep something. Something even better then what we've been looking for and it's not made in some horrible way either."

"Brother, like I've said before. We're in this together. Nothing can bring us apart now. We've been through too much."

"Wait did you say well" Asked Kagome, interrupting the heart-to-heart conversation "Because I think I understand your situation. You see, I'm from the future. I travel back and forth through time using the bone eaters well. That's the well where they throw the bones of the demons that are slayed around here"

"Bone eaters well? Well that explains what all those bones were doing in there."

"So I was right! You came from my time didn't you? But visitors aren't allowed in that part of the shrine. It's against the rules! You should know that." She scolded.

"Shrine? We were on a hill just outside of Resembool."

"Resembool? Never heard of it. Don't think it's a name Japan used to be called either. I guess you really are from another world." She said in awe.

"What's this gate you were talking about" InuYasha said.

A look came over Edward, one of unbelievable regret. "I'll put it this way. When I say I've been to the gate, it's literally saying I've been to hell and back."

InuYasha was shocked. He was picturing a garden gate or something, not the gateway to hell.

"What about this person from your past?" Kagome asked softly "Was it someone wearing a baboon skin?"

"Uhhhh... no" mumbled Ed, the look on his face more defined now, "this was someone, or something that took something from me and Al. I guess I can trust you guys. You seem to have a lot of shit going on too so I don't think it would surprise you as much. Go ahead, show them Al." Ed rolled up his left pant leg and took off his coat. Al took off his helmet.

A gasp echoed across the forest from all those who saw it. Edward had a full metal arm and leg and Alphonse... Alphonse had no body at all!

"The person from our past, the thing that stole our lives, killed all our dreams, and punished us for our sins, said he was God, the universe, and the Truth" Said Edward, eyes darkened with the reminder of his past. "We tried to bring our mother back, and we paid the price for strutting in the bastard's domain. Now he's making us apart of some stupid game of his. We need something in order to get our bodies back. Please! Tell me what you can about the Shikon Jewel!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's chap. 6**

**As you can probably tell, I'm not a consistent writer and I never check over my work so don't mind the spelling/grammar mistakes. Yes, I know they're there.**

**I also noticed that a section somehow got left out in the previous chapter, in case you noticed that it seemed a little sudden for Al to say that they're in it together and all that. I'm too lazy to fix it, but basically Al got surprised, Ed says that Al doesn't have to worry about it and he'll fix it, but Al's like "No brother" and Ed's like "but Al...". Anyways, that's what you missed... **

**R&R and all that jazz. Send me requests for any animes that you want me to write about. Read my profile for more info about how I work.**

Evening was falling, and everybody was now a little awkward around the alchemists. After all, they were strange people, with skills that they've never heard of before, and with claims that they've tried to bring people back from the dead. Sesshomaru could do that with his Tensaiga, but only once and not after such a long period of time.

"Man I'm tired!" Yawned Edward.

Sango looked up, "I could take you to our sleeping area" she offered.

"That'd be great. Alphonse! You coming?"

"Maybe later brother. I want to talk to our new friends"

"Oh, alright. See you later then. Snooze time!" he said as he followed the demon slayer.

Sango could especially relate to the boys feelings. Her whole village had been slain because of Naraku and she was alone as well. If she had a way to bring them all back, she can imagine that she wouldn't have been able to hold back either. She had to ask something though.

* * *

"Hey!... ummmm... Sorry, but can you teach me alchemy?" She looked down as she spoke. This was a lot to ask out of someone they just recently met.

Ed looked up sleepily, the bags under his eyes clearly showing the stress over his years. _They've been through a lot, haven't they? It must have been worth it though if they got their mom back_.

"Why do you want to learn it? It's really complex and you're probably just fine fighting with that thing on your back. A demon slayer sounds like a soldier, so I can't imagine you as weak." He said as he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed by the request.

"Well, you see..." she looked down even further. _We know about him, so it shouldn't matter if he knows about me right? _"My village was all murdered. All the other slayers by my brother, who was being possessed by Naraku, and the rest by demons, who took advantage of the lack of slayers in the village. I want to bring them back, like you did with your mom. I don't care about the cost!"

"You don't want to do that" he mumbled.

"Huh? But why not!?"

He turned away, refusing to look in her direction. "It's not what you think it is..."

"It's not great to have your mother back? How could you say that!"

"She didn't come back dammit!" He screamed.

Shocked and wide-eyed she looked at him "what do you mean... didn't come back?"

"What we made wasn't human"

She gasped then looked down. "I'm sorry, I'm reopening old wounds. I'll shut up now."

She was getting up to leave, when a hand reached out and caught her wrist, "it's alright, you didn't know. They were just questions. It's not like you were mocking us or deliberately trying to make us feel bad. We asked questions too. We just don't like our answers. Still you can't but ask certain things." His eyes had softened and he spoke so kindly to her that she sat back down.

"Ohh, what a touching scene." Sango looked up to where the voice had come from. There, perched on the top of a tree was Naraku!

"Kirara, go tell the others!"

The demon cat changed form and flew off with great speed.

"Let's finish it this time Naraku." She shook with rage "Hiraikotsu!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled, chopping off one of Naraku's arms.

"Ha! Got you!"

"You think so?" A miasma started leaking out. Quickly, Sango handed her mask to Ed.

"Take this and run. You can't defeat this guy." As she readied herself for a second attack.

"Hey, who is this guy?" Edward asked, grabbing the mask, but not moving away.

"Naraku" was all she said.

"The guy who killed everone in your village?"

She nodded.

"Guess I'll have to take care of this." He sighed "Hey bamboo-boy, get your hairy butt down here and face me!"

"Oh, this boy has spirit" He mused, as he jumped and landed neatly in front of Edward.

"Yeah, well that's not all I got" he clapped his hands together and sparks flew. He transmuted his arm into a long, razor sharp sword. "Come get me!"

"As you wish." Naraku unleashed demons from the spot where his arm used to be. Almost a hundred demons came at Edward.

"BASTARD!" he exclaimed, surprised as he dodged to one side. Being so close to Naraku when he unleashed them, he got cut all over from the teeth and fangs of the demons. One demon even bit down hard on his arm, causing a dent to appear.

"Winry's going to kill me. She said she'd charge me double the price if it got busted up so soon." Kicking it away, he sliced clean through the demon.

Sango was running over to help when Naraku grabbed her around the throat from behind.

At that moment, Kirara came back with InuYasha, Kagome, Shippo and Miroku. Al was jogging down below because he was too heavy.

"Brother, we came as fast as we could!" Al bent down and transmuted a large hole, trying to get Naraku to fall in, but Naraku jumped aside.

"SANGO!" Miroku jumped off of Kirara before she landed on the ground and... well Kagome, Shippo and InuYasha had never seen him so furious before.

"Let. Go. Of. Sango. NOW!" As he gripped his beads. He wanted desperately to suck up Naraku, but with Sango so close, using the wind tunnel was unthinkable.

Naraku laughed. "Go ahead monk. Use that wind tunnel. You're powerless without it aren't you? Hehehe"

Edward and Alphonse could see that Miroku was in danger.

"Hey, over here" yelled Alphonse, hoping to get the attention of Naraku and his demons.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten about our little new recruits for team InuYasha. I have something special for you. You will quite appreciate it I think, as it comes from your world." Just then, a large dog-like, bear thing appeared from the forest.

"What is that thing? A new demon" InuYasha, who had been fighting demons with Kagome and Kirara, looked around to see what everyone was staring at.

"No" Al responded, as Ed was shaking with rage, "It's a chimera."

"Where did you get that thing" Edward whispered, looking at the ground. "did you MAKE it!"

"Don't be silly, _Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric_" Ed paused when he heard his full state title, something no one else except Al knew in this world. "I couldn't make something as complex as this, I had a dream. In the dream, there was a river. There was a voice telling me to go to river. When I arrived, this thing was there. The voice said to use this beast to destroy the new friends of InuYasha's. Those who possessed strange powers not from this world, because they would be a great threat to me. When I awoke, I found I really was at a river, with this beast lying near me."

Edward stiffened and Al clenched his fists hard.

"Yes, Elric brothers. I know all about you" Naraku said evilly.


	8. Chapter 8

Edward couldn't bring himself to attack the chimera. As it made another lunge at him, he dodged it easily. Ever since that day, shortly after he past the state alchemist test, he's hated the beasts. Usually he wouldn't hesitate to destroy this abomination, but there was something human about this one. He tried to shake off this feeling.

He dodged again, that time it was a little close for comfort. He felt its fur brush against his left arm.

As if nature itself wanted Edward to hear this, the world became quiet. Not a single creature dared to make a noise. The chimera slowly turned, its eyes locking Ed in place. That's when it spoke.

"Big brother..." In a strange, strangled voice, yet almost too quiet to be audible, it spoke to Edward. The look in its eyes changing to that of pain... and familiarity.

Edward's eyes widened, his face twisting in pain. He opened his mouth as if to scream but no sound came out. Instead his knees gave out. He fell to the ground, holding himself up by his metal arm as the other one was shaking to badly.

"It hurts... big brother..." The thing shook its head. That's when Ed noticed the things hair... was the exact same colour as a little girl's he used to know. Then a look of evil replaced. It lunged, baring yellow fangs and outstretching its large claws.

The tears had started to fall silently down the blond boys face, as he wept and sobbed for the life he wished he could've saved.

**MEANWHILE...**

Shippo and the now shrunken Kirara were sneaking around Naraku. Kirara grew again when she was around him. He hadn't noticed them because he was far too busy with taunting Miroku. Shippo used his foxfire as Kirara bite down on Naraku's head! Unfortunately this didn't kill him, but it did surprise him for a second. As his hold on Sango loosened, Miroku grabbed her and held her for she was shaking in fear.

Miroku's face had darkened. "Guess I can use my wind tunnel now, huh Naraku?"

Naraku released some more miasma. InuYasha stepped in and was preparing to scatter the Miasma, when he noticed that the miasma had hurt Kirara and Shippo. He told Kagome to tend to them.

Now InuYasha was pissed off. No one hurt his friends and get away with it. Maybe with the exception of that blond Elric boy. _Speaking of which _he thought _what happened to him_. That's when he looked over and saw Edward, frozen where he stood, while the chimera was still unscratched. He knew this kid had better stamina than that. He'd watched him fight demons before, and it wasn't as if he didn't know how to fight because he recognized it as soon as he saw it. Something wasn't right.

InuYasha was shocked when he saw the boy fall to the ground, shaking and sobbing. InuYasha's keen hearing heard Alphonse cry out to his brother as the chimera lunged. Al couldn't make it though because he was surrounded by demons.

A flashback of Ed's rage of when they first met came to InuYasha's mind. He had said '_He must be a chimera just like, well just like that other THING!'_. This must have something to do with what he said then.

InuYasha was torn. He could either deliver a great blow to Naraku, or he could help this stranger who he didn't know very well, and didn't particularly like. He looked over and saw Kagome, healing Kirara and Shippo. Saw Miroku trying to calm Sango down. Saw Alphonse calling out to his brother and sounding as if he were crying.

He knew what he had to do.

He aimed his wind scar at the beast, but something kept him from hitting it. Instead he aimed between Edward and the creature called a chimera, so the chimera was forced to either stay back or get hit by the wind scar.

...

There was a flash of gold light that shot between him and the charging chimera. This, fortunately, woke Edward up from his memories. He looked over to see InuYasha with his great sword looking at him, motioning for him to _get up!_

He collected his thoughts, picked himself up and walked up to the chimera. Without a second thought, he smashed it on the head with his fist.

"Big bro-" the chimera was knocked out cold.

He wanted to keep it alive because of the voice and memories it seemed to possess. Yet at the same time, he was happy to see those angry, intelligent, pained eyes close.

Naraku looked around. "Well I should get going. Things might start getting problematic for me if I stick around."

Miroku grabbed Naraku's arm before he could get away and punched him right in the face!

"That's for my Sango." Was all he said.

Naraku hurried and retreated before the monk opened up his wind tunnel.


	9. Chapter 9

The chimera stirred. First a snarl escaped its lips, then a whimper. Its eyes opened slowly.

"Big... brothers" it said quietly, eyeing Edward and Alphonse.

They had returned to the campsite after Kagome had finished tending to Kirara and Shippo. It was nearly dawn and the sunrise was beautiful. It made them want to throw up. Nothing should be beautiful after what happened to this 'beast'.

"I don't understand why we had to bring this stupid chimera thing back with us!" grumbled InuYasha. He glared at Ed, trying to understand what the attachment was to this creature, why we couldn't seem to be able to let it out of his site, and what he was planning to do next.

Edward looked over with his half-dead eyes at the half-demon. Then back at the chimera.

"Hey, I was talking to you!" Inu was really starting to get annoyed now. "You little runt, answer me!"

There was a quick glare and the sound of something snapping. Then... "DON'T CALL ME SMALL YOU DOG-EARED BASTERD!"

"What was that, you shrimp! You want to fight!? BRING IT ON!"

Then Kagome voice came, "InuYasha, sit!" And down he went, leaving a satisfying hole in the ground.

Once they were all calmed down, there was a moment of awkward silence. Then the slightest whisper escaped Ed's lips. "That chimera, I think used to be a friend of ours when it was still human." His bangs covered his face and his expression.

Al's chocked voice sounded for the first time since the fight ended. "Nina..."

The chimera whimpered and put it's head on Ed's lap. "Don't cry... Big brother..." The tears were flowing down his face without his permission and he couldn't stop himself. His silent sobbing continued on.

"Nina... If that's... you" He said between chokes of sorrow, "Then... please, if there's... a way... to save you... let me know... I'll find it... I'll find it... I promise" He hugged the poor beast.

"Shikon Jewel brother" Nina said, then went to sleep.

All eyes opened wide. "DAMN IT!" Ed screamed, "That's supposed to be for Al!"

"It's okay brother," said Al, "we can use it on Nina. I don't mind. We'll just find another way to get our bodies back."

"But Al, we were so close again," his sobbing hadn't stopped. He seemed unable to control it anymore. "So close and yet, so far. I wonder if the person who made up that saying knew us, Al"

Miroku, who had been holding Sango this whole time and had surprisingly not done anything perverted, spoke up, "I don't understand what it is you guys went through, but are you really going to give up that easily? After all, the answer may be around the corner this time."

"No we won't, right brother?" Al said with determination.

Ed stayed quiet.

"...Brother? Are you...giving up?"

"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep somewhere else. Don't follow me." He said without emotion.

He got up to leave when Al called out, "Brother wait! What's wrong? We're in this together remember? Brother!"

"I'm so tired" He said, and kept walking.


End file.
